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Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan has come out in strong support of teammate Azam Khan, brushing aside concerns over the wicketkeeper’s fitness after their victory over Karachi Kings in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 on Sunday.
Addressing the media during the post-match press conference, Shadab made it clear that Azam’s performance on the field outweighs any fitness debates, especially when it comes to his role within the franchise.
“There shouldn’t be any questions about Azam’s fitness; we can cover for him,” Shadab said.
“I’m not saying he should necessarily be in the Pakistan team, but in our franchise, we provide him cover, and he always performs for us. Yes, fitness is important, but for us, his performance matters more.”
Azam Khan was promoted to open the innings for Islamabad United in a modest 129-run chase, alongside Sahibzada Farhan.
The wicket-keeper scored a composed 31 off 30 deliveries, laying a strong foundation with Sahibzada Farhan (30 off 18) for a smooth pursuit, while Shadab himself anchored the innings with a match-defining 47 off 40 balls.
Earlier, Islamabad United’s bowling unit put in another disciplined effort to restrict Karachi Kings to 128/7. Shadab led from the front with figures of 2 for 17, while Naseem Shah continued his impressive run with 2 for 29.
With this result, defending champions Islamabad United remain unbeaten in the tournament, registering their fourth consecutive win to further consolidate their position at the top of the table.
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